Rotary engine.



. v PATENTED DEG. s, 1903. L. J. J, B. LE ROND- ROTARY ENGINE.APPLICATION I'ILED MAY 26, 1899.

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l V, w v I on. a 6. THE NORRIS PETERS w PHOTO-TKO WASHINGT PATBNTED DEC.8, 1903.

L. J. J. B; LE BOND. ROTARY ENGINE. FPLIUATION FILED MAY 26, 1899.

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PATENTED DEC. 8, 1903. L. J. J. B. LE R'OND.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1899.

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UNITED ST TES" Patented December 8, 1903.

"PATENT OFFICE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 746,346, dated December8, 1903.

I Application filed May 26, 1899. Serial No. 718 ,462. {liq model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that'I, LOUIS J ULns J ELAN BAP- TISTE LE BOND, a residentof Paris, in the Re- 3 public of France, have invented new and use- Myinvention relates to improvements in multiple-expansion rotary motors orlike apaj paratus in which two or more pistons are fasf ,teued to asingle shaft rotating in a fixed casing and cooperating with abutmentspassing through said casing. 1

'My invention consists in the several novel.

features of construction and operation hereinafter described and whichare specifically set forth in the claims hereto annexed.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my en- 'gine, the rotary abutmentsbeing omitted;

Fig. 2 shows a modified construction of my Fig. 3 shows an arrangementfor supporting the shafts of my engine. Figs. 4:

and 5'illustrate profiles which may be given;

to pistons and recesses in'my engine. Figs 6 and 7 show my enginecomplete with means forpackinggear-wheels in an oil-box. Figs. 8;

:and 9 show modifications of my engine. Figs 10 and 11 show a modifiedconstruction ofthe chambers of my engine. Figs. 12 and 13 illustratediagrammatically the passage connecting the several cylinders.

My improved apparatus, as will be further explained with reference tothe accompanying drawings, comprises a fixed casing forming a series ofcylinders, rotary pistons,.one in each cylinder, having tores orrecesses about its periphery and all fastened to a'single shaft, rotaryabutments having proper'recesses and rotated in unison with the pistonsby means of propergearin-g, and admission and exhaust ports for thecylinders, so connected that the engine may have a multiple expansion orcompression effect.' 7

Fig. 1 shows a series of three chambers O .C' C". I If steam is admittedin 0, it will expand more and more asit passes from O to way this samedevice may be used as a thermic motor if, for instance, air be admittedinto 0 and gas orpetroleum mixed therewith.

and the'mixtu're ignitedfin the'inter'medi'ate passage between C and O.The gasorpetroleum will burn in the air-draft between (land 0 and thegases of combustion expand mo". Inversely, if operated asa'gas-compresso'ra gas, such as air, introduced into 0 will becompressed from (1 into 0, then from'Ointo O, wherefrom it may flow toacompressed gasor air tank.

Fig. 2 shows another series of three chambers, in which the first, G,'isgreater in volume than the second, C, and the third, 0, is

greater than both of the former. If, for in- 1- stance, we supposethevolume of C to be five,

the volume of 0 one, and the volume of G'. fifteen, the engine will befit forbeing used as a common petroleum'or gas motoigthe mixed air andgas being admittedin 0, compressed in C, exploded when compressed, andexpanded in C, from whence it escapes. Every space-such as 1, 2, 3, and4, Figs. 1 and '2may be properly connectedfor' instance, by means ofpipe beither together or with a same medium, such as the exhaustp'ipe'orthe steam-box, in order to avoidany unequal pressure on the rotatingcylinder that would impose on the journals a strain parallel to itsaxis.

Figs. 10 and 11 show a dispositionof three chambers such as that in Fig.1,-in which inwardly-projecting flanges on the casing form the end wallsof the recesses in thepist'ons.

Figs. 6 and 7 show my engine complete with two chambers, two rotaryabutments, gearwheels 6, connecting the piston-shaftand abutment-shafts,an oil-box 7, inclosing the Fig. 3 shows an improved arrangement forsupporting. and centering the shaftsof the male and female tores inorder to get a perfect parallelism between them. This is obtained bymeans of cylindrical journals resting in bored bolsters which are formedin the casing itself. Let us suppose the engine has two male tores seton individual shafts d and difbeing the main shaft. The end plate g ofthe casing bears half of the lower part of a bolster 'i, the other halfjbeing formed (or connected) with the cylindrical casing a. A singlejournal with a single cap it constitutes a very simple and effectivesupport for shaft 61. The same arrangement may be used at both ends andfor all of the male tore-shafts, and the caps of the bolsters may becast solid with the outer casings, which may be used for the male tores.

Figs. 4 and 5 are modified profiles for the.

pistons and recesses; but, in fact, any profiles may do wilhout alteringthe engine under this only condition that during rotation they insurebetween both piston and abutment a steam-tight joint. It will be noticedthat it is also necessary to enable one to dis-.

pense with a distributing slide or valve that the angle between any twosuccessive pistons be smaller than the angle between any inlet- 1 portand the corresponding exhaust-port. If

besides these two conditions a series of chambers be used through whichthe fluid successively passes by means of permanently-open ports, anystyle of compression or expansion or compound compression and expansionmay be obtained without using any distributing slide or valve. Of coursedistributing valves or slides may also be used without altering I taryabutments cooperating with the recesses the engine.

Figs. 12 and 13 show diagrammatically the passages connectingftheadmission and ex-I haust ports of the several cylinders O O" C". In theposition of the parts as shown in Fig. 1 admission of gaseous explosivemixture is commencing through passage 01 and space l,

space m is filled with the mixture, and the mixture from space n isbeing forcibly ejected through passage e and compressed in space Z ofcylinder 0, space m (wherein the mixture is exploded) is dischargingthrough pas-' sage 0'' into space Z of cylinder 0, (where power isexerted to rotate the shaft carrying the pistons,) and space n isdischarging the spent products of combustion through exhaust-passage 6Fig. 13 illustrates position of the parts at the conclusion of admissionthrough passage a of cylinder C, as will be apparent.

When my invention is embodied in an exp'losive-engine, such as shown inFig. 2, the two spaces Z m of cylinder 0, Figs. 12 and 13, are eachsmaller than the correspond: ing spaces of cylinder 0, so thatthe'volume of explosive gas admitted to the former is compressed inthelatter,as already explained. In the case'of a multiple-expansionsteamengine (shown in Fig. 1) spaces l and m Figs. 12 and 13, would belarger than the corresponding spaces of cylinder 0, so that the steamfrom cylinder 0 would expand in cylinder G and further expand incylinder 0.

The passage of the motive fluid and general construction are, however,substantially the same in both cases.

What I claim is-- 1. In a multiple-expansion rotary motor or likeapparatus, a fixed casing forming a series of tandem-arranged cylindersof diiferent diameters, fluid admission and exhaust ports for eachcylinder, passages connecting the exhaust-port of one cylinder with theadmissionport of the next cylinder, aseries of separated andcorresponding pistons within said cylinders, each piston having aperipheral recess divided into chambers, a single shaft securing all thepistons together, and rotary abutments cooperating with the recesses orpockets in said pistons, substantially as set forth.

2. In a multiple-expansion rotary motor or like apparatus, a fixedcasing longitudinally divided and forming a series of tandem-arrangedcylinders of different diameters,'a series of pistons within thecylinders and of corresponding diameters, each piston having in saidpistons, substantially as set forth.

3. In a multiple expansion rotary motor or like apparatus, a fixedcasing having semicylindrical journal-bearings formed integral with saidcasing, caps for said journal-bearings, said casing forming a series oftandemarranged cylinders of different diameters, 'fluid admission andexhaust ports for each cylinder, passages connecting the exhaustport ofone cylinder with the admission-port of the next cylinder, a series ofseparated and corresponding pistons within said cylinders, each pistonhaving a peripheral recess divided into chambers, a single shaftsecuring all the pistons together, and abutments cooperating with therecesses or pockets in said pistons, substantially as set forth.

4. In a rotary motor, or like apparatus, a fixed casing forming a seriesof cylinders, a series of motive pistons within said cylinders,admission and exhaust ports for the cylinders respectively andpressure-equalizing passages connecting the spaces between the ends ofthe several pistons and the cylinders.

5. In a rotary engine or like apparatus, a fixed casing forming a seriesof cylinders arranged tandemwise, a series'of motive pistons within the[said chambers respectively, each piston having recesses or cham hereabout its periphery, admission and exhaust ports for the cylindersrespectively, and a passage connecting the exhaust-port of the firstcylinder with the admission-port'of the next cylinder, a single-shaft towhich all of the pis- In testimony whereof I' have signed thisspecification in the presence of two subscrib 10 tons are secured,rotary abutments for the ing witnesses. pistons projecting throughopenings in the casing and engaging in the chambers of the pistons,andpressure-equalizing passages connecting the spaces between the ends ofthe several pistons and the casing.

LOUIS JULES JEAN BAPTISTE LE ROM).

Witnesses:

EMILE LEDUC, EDWARD P. MACLEAN.

